Jack the Ripper
" Jack the Ripper " is the popular name given to a serial killer who killed a number of prostitutes in the East End of London in 1888. The killings took place within a mile area and involved the districts of Whitechapel, Spitalfields and Aldgate. He was called the Whitechapel Murderer before a letter was received by the Scotland Yard which claimed to have been written by the murderer himself. The signature on the letter read“ Jack the Ripper”. Much of the original evidence gathered at the time has been lost, and many " facts " are actually opinions by the various writers who have written about the case during the past century.
Role of Media and Press
Jack the ripper has remained popular for a number of reasons. The most important one was that the murders took place in a metropolitan city, where the press and media was a force for social change. Every day the activities of the Ripper were chronicled in the newspapers, as were the results of the inquiries and the actions taken by the police. Even the feelings of the people living in the East End, and the editorials that attacked the various establishments of Society appeared each day for both the people of London and the whole world to read. The press coverage made this series of murders popular.
The Victims
It is commonly believed that the Ripper himself was responsible for five murders. Although some have written that he had killed seven or more victims. The public, press, and even many junior police officers, whereas, believed that the Ripper was responsible for nine slayings. The five that are generally accepted as the work of the Ripper include Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catharine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly. All five of these listed plus Martha Tabram, whose case is still disputed, were prostitutes and were killed between early August and early November 1888. All but Tabram and Kelly were killed outdoors. They varied in both age and appearance. Most were diagnosed or suspected to be drunk at the time they were killed.